Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner to run against Donalds for governor
Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner has announced his candidacy for governor of Florida in the 2026 election, entering the Republican primary to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis. Renner will challenge Rep. Byron Donalds, a Trump-endorsed candidate, among others. A Navy veteran and former state prosecutor, Renner emphasizes his commitment to defending Florida’s values while addressing key challenges. despite his previous collaboration with DeSantis, the current governor criticized Renner’s decision to run as “ill-advised.” Renner supports school choice, parental rights in education, Second Amendment protections including open-carry laws, and aligns with former President Trump’s Make America Great Again platform. On the Democratic side, former Republican David Jolly is viewed as a likely primary frontrunner. Renner remains confident about the upcoming primary battle and considers the eventual Democratic nominee as the main opposition.
Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner to run against Donalds for governor
Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Paul Renner has thrown his hat in the ring to be the next governor of Florida, challenging Trump-endorsed candidate Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL).
Renner filed his candidacy Wednesday morning, saying he is the candidate who can “stand in and defend the Florida we love, but also address challenges,” in his announcement to ABC28.
Renner, a Navy Veteran and former Florida state prosecutor, joins eight other declared candidates in the Republican primary to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited and cannot run again in 2026 after serving two consecutive four-year terms. Both DeSantis’s recently-appointed Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and wife Casey DeSantis have also been seen as potential successors and have not ruled out a run.
DeSantis has not yet endorsed any candidate for governor, including Trump-backed front-runner Donalds.
“I’m not worried,” Renner told Saunders when asked about the potentially grueling primary fight ahead. “I’ve served in two wars. There’s not anything new here for me, and as Speaker, there were a lot of arrows flying, so I’m not afraid of a fight. But look, our opponent, our common opponent, is whoever the Democrats put up.”
The candidate most likely to win the Democratic primary race is David Jolly, a once-Republican, former U.S. Representative who switched his registration to the liberal party this year. Renner attacked Jolly’s views on school choice, gun control, and litigation reform in his interview with Saunders.
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Renner fought for school choice and as part of DeSantis’s parental rights in education crusade while he was speaker of the Florida House. Despite their history of working together, DeSantis dissed Renner’s gubernatorial bid Wednesday, calling his candidacy “an ill-advised decision“.
Renner told Saunders he supports second amendment guarantees and open-carry laws. He also supports President Trump’s Make America Great Again platform and cares about issues like childhood education, affordability, and infrastructure improvements, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
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